Education and study loans in South Africa.
Tuition, registration fees, textbooks, accommodation. Before taking a general personal loan, check whether a dedicated student loan or a bursary route applies — they are usually cheaper.
- Tuition, registration, books and accommodation
- Compared across registered providers
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Dedicated study loans usually beat personal loans
Several South African banks offer specific student loan products where, while the student is studying, only the interest is repaid and capital repayment starts after graduation. Rates are typically below unsecured personal loan rates. They require a working surety — usually a parent or guardian — which is the main reason people fall back to a personal loan instead.
Check NSFAS and bursaries first
NSFAS funds qualifying students at public universities and TVET colleges, and does not have to be repaid on the same terms as commercial credit. Many faculties, professional bodies and large employers also run bursary schemes that go unclaimed. Borrowing commercially for something a bursary would have covered is an expensive administrative oversight.
Borrowing as the parent or guardian
Where the student has no income, the practical route is often a personal loan in the working parent’s name. Affordability is then assessed against the parent’s income and existing obligations, and the parent carries the legal liability — worth being explicit about within the family before signing.
Ready to compare your options?
One short enquiry. We introduce it to registered South African credit providers who may contact you directly. Free, and you are under no obligation to accept anything you are offered.
Questions people ask
Can I get a study loan with no income?
Not on your own for a general personal loan — affordability is assessed against income. Dedicated student loan products exist for exactly this reason, but require a surety with income.
Does the money go to me or to the institution?
On a general personal loan, to you. Some dedicated student loan products pay tuition directly to the institution and disburse a smaller allowance to the student.